Wednesday, 24 June 2015

Not a lot is known, up close and personal, in Australia about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia. The main cause of this is that there aren't many of them/us. About 3000 people identified as Quakers at the last census. This came as a bit of surprise - because the most knowledgable Friends (as Quakers prefer to be called), as well as the records of Friends, could only account for somewhat over 1,000. For those who know about Quakers, there is usually one stand-out factor - they are pacifists and active campaigners for peace. Please go here to learn more of The Quaker Peace Testimony. Quakers also keenly maintain their history with women in many places taking to needle and thread in preservation of the Quaker story. The Editor of Beside The Creek can testify personally to the needlework and design skills of Tessa. The event to which Helen refers is the Shoalwater Bay Peace Convergence 2015 which coincides with and is a protest against Exercise Talisman Saber 2015.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with my dear Friend Tessa Spratt mending our Quaker bonnets in preparation for the quakergrannies4peace witness at Shoalwater Bay, next month. Tessa's bonnet has a note inside the brim that it was made in 1860 and it is all hand-stitched. Mine is machine chainstitched and probably dates around 1880s. You can be sure they will be worn with joy at actions in Rockhampton and Shoalwater Bay.﻿

Victorian Faith Networks Council of Victoria

Compass

2018 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Religions getting together in peace

Interfaith Voivces

From the Dacorum Interfaith Network

An Interfaith Tree of Life

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What is interfaith dialogue?

Ballarat Interfaith Network has the motto "Conversations not Conversions". Interfaith organisations come from a desire to understand and show respect for those of faiths other than the individual's own faith. These organisations allow friendships and dialogue to develop.
Please go to the following link for more detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith_dialogue

Title and Background photograph

The title of the blog comes from a Judith Wright poem. To read the poem please go to the post at http://interfaithinballarat.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/wisdom-and-knowledge-gained-beside-creek.html

The background of this blog was taken from a photograph by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh, the author of this blog. The photograph shows oak trees beside the Yarrowee River. It was taken from Esmond Street on Ballarat's historic Black Hill Reserve. Esmond Street forms part of the Yarrowee Trail as well as the Goldfields Track and is a favourite place for walkers, joggers, bikers, and dogs.